What are service connections in Azure DevOps?

Short answer: What are service connections in Azure DevOps? Answer: A service connection is a secure link between Azure DevOps and external systems (like Azure, AWS, GitHub, or Docker Hub). Example: If your pipeline needs to deploy code to Azure App Service, you create an Azure Resource Manager service connection. It stores credentials securely so the pipeline can deploy automatically.

Real-world example (ShopNest)

Azure DevOps holds ShopNest repos, boards, and release pipelines in one place so build + deploy stay repeatable.

Say this in the interview

1. Define — one clear sentence (the short answer above).
2. Example — relate it to a project like ShopNest or your real work.
3. Trade-off — when you would not use it.